


Revelations

by Lucky_Cassandra



Series: New Family, Old Secrets [2]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst, Family Secrets, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Mother-Son Relationship, Secrets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-26
Updated: 2018-03-26
Packaged: 2019-04-08 09:44:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14102694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucky_Cassandra/pseuds/Lucky_Cassandra
Summary: Percy and Sally share their biggest secret with Paul.





	Revelations

**Author's Note:**

> I know, I know. Yet ANOTHER fic about Percy and Sally telling Paul. I am not sorry, this is entirely self-indulgent. And there will be more, I feel everything Paul might feel as he looks at Percy and slowly discovers the truth.

Percy was late. He knew Paul was having dinner with them tonight, so he had to have a good reason for not being there yet. Sally could feel her anxiety increase with every passing minute, and she realized Paul was looking at her. She forcefully relaxed her shoulders and turned to smile at him. She suspected it looked more than a little like a grimace.

"Don't worry," Paul said tentatively, "I'm sure he only forgot to look at the time."

Sally nodded and worked harder to smile naturally. Of course, Paul didn't know that her anxiety was not the typical my-teenage-son-is-late-in-a-big-city-like-new-york kind of anxiety. Not yet. Percy meant to tell Paul everything, but the moment was just never right. Sally and Percy both knew they were running out of time. Paul was a sharp and intelligent man, and it was impossible to spend so much time in the company of a demigod and not notice something was not quite... right. Especially if the demigod in question was as monster- and trouble-drawing as Percy was... not his fault, of corse. And Sally thought the attacks were increasing. Guilt gnawed at her, guilt for wanting her son near her, for being selfish, for not sending him away to a safer place... though she knew this was also Percy's decision. He wanted to be home...

The click of the door quickly ended her reverie. She turned towards the door to see her son walk in, smiling sheepishly. "Hello... Sorry I'm so late..."

Percy's voice was normal enough, but Sally's eyes zeroed in on the little details that told her what had really happened. His disheveled ink black hair was even messier than usual, his shoulders were tense, his shirt sleeve had a couple of small rips in it, his clothes were a dusty mess and his right hand was clenched in his pocket around something. His pen.

Oh _gods_ , again? _Three_ days after the last attack? Sally looked Percy over again quickly. At least he didn't seem to be hurt this time. He met her eyes and his gaze softened, trying to reassure her he was okay. She gave a tiny nod.

Paul spoke first. "Hello, Percy. Is everything all right? You look... a bit of a mess, really."

Percy turned to Paul, looking a little lost, like he really didn't know what to answer to that. Something like panic briefly flashed in his eyes, then he turned to look out the window, his eyes turning distant. The Sun was setting, red light filling the room and putting Percy's strong features in sharp relief. Sally noticed once again how he looked more and more like his father with every passing day. The curve of his jaw was getting stronger, his brows thicker, his cheekbones more pronounced. Features of a man peeking out from the face of a child. His eyes were not changing, though. Those had held that brooding, thoughtful, too-mature-for-his-age look for quite a while, now. As Percy looked at the setting sun, Sally was reminded  of something he once had told her. Sunrise was suposedly a good moment for making decisions and new beginnings. She wondered if this applied to sunset as well.

Percy must have thought something similar, because his gaze hardened with resolve, and he turned towards Paul.

"I'm fine Paul, thank you, but there is still something I'd like to talk to you about." his voice was firm yet gentle. It softened even further. "Please. If you don't mind. It's not easy to share or explain." 

Paul looked momentarily taken aback, but very quickly recovered. "Of course, Percy," he said gently, "I think you know you can tell me anything." He turned towards Sally. "You can tell us anything."

Percy smirked slightly. "Oh, she knows what I'm about to tell you... and I think you've realized by now that we have been keeping something from you. I'm sorry about that, and it's high time we tell you everything." Percy turned dead serious again. "Before I begin, let me get this straight. My mom had no choice but to keep this from you. She never wanted to lie to you. Not ever. And I am quite sure she never lied to you about anything else."

Paul looked surprised at the underlying fierceness in Percy's tone. Again, he recovered quickly, though a worry line appeared on his forehead.

"Why don't we all sit down somewhere more comfortable?" He asked, gesturing towards the couch.

Percy sat down, Sally moving to sit next to him. Paul sat on an armchair and turned towards Percy, waiting silently for him to begin.

Percy took a deep breath but still kept silent. His eyes were turned towards the carpet, his expression unreadable. Sally reached out to put a hand on his knee.

"Percy, if you are not ready this can wait," his mother said in a low voice. She knew how hard this was for him.

Percy turned to look at her, his eyes soft. "No, mom, it's really time to get this over with. It will makes things easier. No more lies or excuses." He turned to Paul. "And you deserve to know everything about the family you are about to join."

Without waiting for an answer from Paul, Percy began again. "Do you remember meeting my father at my birthday party?" He asked.

"Poseidon?" Paul asked, confused. "Of course I remember. A man hard to forget,  a situation hard to forget, a _name_ hard to forget."

Percy smiled humorlessly. "Yeah, a heavy name indeed. Remember how he disappeared from my room and you couldn't believe he had used the fire escape?"

Paul nodded, still looking confused.

"You were right," Percy said. "He didn't use the fire escape."

  


* * *

  


Paul was sitting alone at the kitchen table. After dinner, they had cleaned up, Sally and Percy washing the dishes together while Paul stared into space. Percy had retreated to his room.

Paul was still trying to process everything Percy and Sally had told him. It was hard. Greek gods, myths, monsters, prophecies, magical swords... And _demigods_. His soon-to-be stepson was an _actual_ demigod, his father the god of the sea.

Still, it made an odd sort of sense. There _were_ things that he could... well, not rationalize, but explain better, now. Percy's disappearences from school. Sally's anxiety whenever her son was a few minutes late. The gaps in their conversations. The feeling that they were hiding something. And the intense, sometimes haunted look in Percy's eyes. Oh god, that look he got sometimes, so much older than his fifteen years, had often had Paul wonder what had happened to him. He sometimes thought about what little Sally had told him about her first husband, little things which had convinced him Gabe might have been abusive. The thought had horrified and sickened him so much he hadn't found the courage to ask about it.

His thoughts turned to Percy's father again. An _actual_ god, a powerful being who could cause storms, earthquakes, tidal waves... who had fallen for Sally, had given her a son.

A sound in the doorway made Paul look up. Sally was standing there, a sad look of concern in her eyes. She was beautiful, even with that pinched look on her face. Paul could understand why an all-powerful being would choose to love her. Intelligent, funny, witty, gentle, smart... And so beautiful.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly. "Do you want me to leave you alone?" She hesitated. "If you want to leave, I understand." she went on, her voice breaking a little on the last word.

"No, please, don't go... And I'm not planning on going anywhere, just yet..." He quickly answered. "Please, sit with me?"

Sally sat at the table across from him, her hand moving as if to take his hand but then stopping. Paul reached out and took her hand.

"I'm sorry for being a bit... distracted. That was a lot to take in," he began. "And I understand why you kept it from me. It must have been difficult, dealing with all of this on your own. I still can't say I have no trouble believing every word, but..."

Sally chuckled humorlessly. "We are happy you are not having us locked up as nutcases right away," she said, then her gaze turned serious again. "Take your time. Think about it. And I want you to know... I'll understand if you... don't want to go through with the wedding." The last words were barely whispered.

"What?" Paul asked, startled. "No, I could never... I wouldn't... I _love_ you, Sally, nothing can change that. I told you, I understand why you had to... hide things."

Sally's watery look of relief was heart-wrenching. He squeezed her hand. "I just have to... let all of this sink in." He was quiet for a few seconds. "Can Percy really control water?" he asked then, wonder in his voice.

"Yeah," Sally answered softly. "He briefly considered showing you, to help you believe, but he... He doesn't like to use his powers unless absolutely necessary. I think they might scare him a little, sometimes, but above all... I think he understands what a responsability they are. He does not use them lightly."

Paul nodded. He could believe that about Percy. He could be a bit of a goof off, sometimes, he could laugh and make jokes and fool around like any teenager on earth, but there was a seriousness about him, a guardedness... It broke his heart again just to think about it.

"Okay, well... tomorrow is Saturday, so no school... do you think you and Percy would like to go see a movie?" Paul asked, suddenly.

Sally looked up, startled at the change in topic. Then she smiled slowly, her eyes bright. "We can ask him, but I think he'll be all for it. I warn you though, he will go to the pick'n'mix and pick only blue candy."

"I think I can live with the embarrassment. Let's go ask him."

Together, holding hands, they rose and moved towards Percy's room.


End file.
